The Republican National Convention kicks off Monday July 18 to Thursday July 21 in Cleveland, Ohio. Get real-time and behind-the-scenes coverage from ABC News.

ABC NewsABC News' Charli James talks to protestors who are marching in Cleveland.

by Veronica.Stracqualursi7/21/2016 7:39:50 PM

How Donald Trump is Polling in Ohio

ABC’s VERONICA STRACQUALURSI: Republican nominee Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton are neck and neck in the Buckeye State, according to recent polls. A NBC/Wall Street Journal/ Marist poll shows Trump and Clinton tied at 39 percent among Ohio voters. A Quinnipiac University poll released July 13 shows the two candidates tied at 41 percent of support. Trump and Clinton were also tied in Quinnipiac’s poll last month.

There’s a gender divide among voters as women prefer Clinton, 48 to 35 percent, and men prefer Trump, 47 to 33 percent, according to July’s Quinnipiac poll. Trump is backed by white Americans, 46 to 35 percent, and Clinton has support from non-white voters, 69 to 15 percent.

“I am not in the habit of supporting someone who attacks my wife and attacks my father,” Cruz told the Texas delegation at a breakfast in Cleveland.

He added: “That pledge [to endorse the eventual nominee] was not a blanket commitment that if you go and slander and attack Heidi, that I'm going to nonetheless come like a puppy dog and say thank you very much for maligning my wife and maligning my father."

Donald Trump 'Ready' for RNC Speech

ABC's TOM LLAMAS and JOHN SANTUCCI:

As Donald Trump exited the stage at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland after a walk-through, he told ABC News that was "ready" for his speech on the final night of the 2016 Republican National Convention, where he is expected to officially accept the GOP presidential nomination.

"I'm ready as you'll ever be, I guess," Trump said.

When asked if people are going to be surprised, Trump responded, "I hope they'er gonna be impressed. We have a lot to say and I hope we say it well."

“We didn’t know he wasn’t going to endorse Trump, but that wasn’t the point. I said Mr. Trump made no conditions on it,” Paul Manafort said in an interview today with ABC News’ Tom Llamas. “The reason he spoke is because Mr. Trump believes Ted Cruz was one of the candidates that ran for president, he should be allowed the opportunity to help bring the party together again.”

On “The Today Show” this morning, Trump was asked about certain chants that ring out among delegates, including calls to “lock her up” in reference to Hillary Clinton. She was asked if she is comfortable with this chant.

"It is certainly exciting," Trump said, apparently deflecting the question to comment on the convention as a whole. "It’s a major production, but it's definitely a different experience. I’ve never been to something like this."

Republican National Convention 2016: Fact-Checking the Speakers

ABC News is fact-checking selected speakers at the 2016 Republican National Convention taking place in Cleveland.

DAY THREE: Wednesday, July 20

Claim: Hillary Clinton Took Money from Saudi Government

Rating: Misleading. The Clinton Foundation has received donations from the Saudi government, but Hillary Clinton has not taken that money.

Background: Newt Gingrich said, “So when you hear about Hillary’s dishonesty, of the emails, or taking millions from the Saudis and other Middle Eastern dictatorships--remember: this is not about politics.”

Republicans have pointed to donations that the Clinton Foundation received from the Saudi government to imply that Hillary Clinton personally benefited from the donations. Politifact did a thorough analysis of the claim after Donald Trump posted on Facebook that the foundation had received over $25 million from the Saudi government.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has given a total of between $10 million and $25 million, since the foundation started back in 1997, according to its website. However, Hillary Clinton became a board member of the foundation only after she left government office in 2013. According to Politifact, the foundation did not receive donations from Saudi Arabia while Clinton served as secretary of state.

There is no evidence that Hillary Clinton personally “took” money from the Saudi government, as Gingrich’s statement implies. The foundation that bore her name beginning in 2013 after she left public office has received money from Saudi Arabia, but it is important to note the distinction between Clinton and the Clinton Foundation, as well as the timing of the donations and their purpose.

After withholding an endorsement of Donald Trump in his convention address Wednesday night, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had some explaining to do to his state delegation Thursday morning.

After taking questions from Texas delegates at a breakfast in Cleveland -- and explaining that “I am not in the habit of supporting someone who attacks my wife and attacks my father” -– the delegation devolved into bitter infighting.

A handful of delegates took their disagreements outside the ballroom after Cruz concluded and broke into full-out shouting matches.

Donald Trump’s attempted kiss of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, after Pence’s speech Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention, is drawing plenty of attention and comparisons to other awkward shows of affection at political conventions.

Trump seemed to attempt to kiss his running mate on the forehead while shaking his hand but Pence stopped him short, resulting in what’s being called an awkward “air kiss.” The move quickly drew its own hashtage, #airkiss, and its own Twitter account.

Paul Manafort Says Ted Cruz's RNC Speech Unified Party

Dona;d Trump's Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort said Ted Cruz's vilified speech during the third night of the 2016 Republican National Convention actually unified the party.

""In a backhanded way, even with what Senator Cruz did, we think Mr. Trump unifying the party enhanced last night.," Manafort said Thuesday during a briefing.

"We think it became very clear to everyone that Donald Trump has been very magnificent in his outreach program. He invited all the presidential candidates who ran to participate in this convention and speak, he felt if they had gone through the crucible of the campaign, they had the right to speak. He had no conditions about anything, we never said that there were conditions but everyone who did attend, in some way said that they support the ticket, voting for the ticket or endorse the ticket. Only Sen. Cruz decided to slip away with something unconscious and it was a convention speech that was poorly received by everybody in the hall. That was Sen. Cruz’s decision," Manafort said.

Cruz's former campaign manager Jeff Roe said the Texas senator expected boos going into his speech last night.

Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Scott walker Throws Support Behind Donald Trump in Convention Speech

“Let me be clear, a vote for anyone other than Donald Trump in November is a vote for Hillary Clinton,” the former 2016 candidate said, recalling the promise he made during a Republican debate in Cleveland last August to support the eventual nominee, regardless of who it was.

“Make no mistake, we can't wait four years to get them next time,” he continued. “The consequences are too great.”

Graham, Sasse Respond to Trump's NATO Comments

ABC's ALI WEINBERG:

Two notable senators who are not attending the convention have released statements reacting to Trump’s declarations about reconsidering NATO’s collective defense commitments:

Ben Sasse:"Our friends should draw strength and our adversaries should take pause from this simple fact: Americans keep our word. As Mr. Putin revives Soviet-style aggression and the threat of violent Islam looms over European and American cities, the United States stands with our NATO allies."

Lindsey Graham:

“Statements like these make the world more dangerous and the United States less safe.

“I can only imagine how our allies in NATO, particularly the Balkan states must feel after reading these comments from Mr. Trump. I’m 100 percent certain how Russian President Putin feels – he’s a very happy man.

“The Republican nominee for President is essentially telling the Russians and other bad actors that the United States is not fully committed to supporting the NATO alliance. NATO has been the most successful organization in modern history to provide collective defense for democracies. If Mr. Trump is serious about wanting to be Commander in Chief he needs to better understand the job which is to provide leadership for the United States and the free world.

“Mr. Trump has shown the ability to correct statements such as this. I hope he will do so tonight when the world is watching.”

by Julia Jacobo7/21/2016 2:50:00 PM

Donald Trump bobble heads are sold during the third session of the 2016 Republican National Convention in downtown Cleveland Wednesday. Credit: Jeremy Hogan/Polaris

Mike Pence Admitted He Was Nervous About RNC Speech

Addressing delegates from his home state, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said admitted he had been slightly nervous about giving his speech on day three of the 2016 Republican National Convention.

When told he "didn't even look nervous," Pence responded, "Well, looks are deceiving."

Pence went out to thank his people and praise Indiana's economic success, saying he hoped the crowd "didn't mind" that he bragged about them last night.

"I'm gonna keep bragging everywhere I go," he said.

Pence and his wife, Karen, walked off to the crowd chanting, "We like Mike!"

by Julia Jacobo7/21/2016 2:15:00 PM

Chaos Continued at Texas Delegation Breakfast After Ted Cruz Left

ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ:

A pro-Cruz woman grew emotional at a breakfast for Texas delegates Thursday as she argued with two delegates angry with Cruz's decision not to endorse Donald Trump as the party nominee for president.

"This is like if there's an engagement andyour guy that you're gonna marry goes out and does these things that isabomination to your vows that you're gonna take then you have a right to rejectthat person and not marry him," one emotional Cruz supporter said.

One pro-Trump man shouted at that woman and said, "People talked about my family and I didn't cryabout it. I grew up."

Another man said of Cruz, "He said he's a Christian. He should forgive."

The woman responded, "He should forgive,but he does not need to endorse."

One man who defended Cruz said, ""I hope you'd do the same thing I hopeyou'd have some character and stand for your family."